ADVANCE BY NEW ZEALANDERS

Southland Times, Issue 24605, 29 November 1941, Page 7

ADVANCE BY NEW ZEALANDERS

Troops Meet Heavy Opposition

(8.0.W.) RUGBY, November 27. The junction of the New Zealand Forces from the west with the British Forces from Tobruk is announced in a Cairo communique, which states that during Tuesday night the New Zealand forces, supported by a British tank formation, recaptured Sidi Rezegh and occupied Bir al Hamed in the face of heavy opposition. Stiff fighting continued in the area throughout Wednesday and it was not until early on Thursday morning that the elements of the relieving forces were able to join hands at El Duda with the British forces from Tobruk, which yesterday captured that important locality. Meanwhile, British armoured and mechanized columns are hunting the enemy raiding force which on Wednesday broke up into a number of parties, circulating on both sides of the frontier. In various brushes British columns yesterday accounted for five tanks and 80 other vehicles while 300 prisoners, mostly Germans, were captured. Although this raid had a certain nuisance value it has not succeeded in diverting the Allied Forces from the main object.

SUCCESSFUL AIR OPERATIONS The Imperial air forces again had a successful day on Wednesday, particularly in co-operation with the ground forces. Operating against German and Italian reinforcements west of Sidi Rezegh, British bombers and fighters destroyed several tanks and numerous transport vehicles. The New Zealanders in the Sidi Rezegh area face stiff fighting, says a military spokesman in Cairo. Only advanced units of both the New Zealanders and the Tobruk forces have so far joined up and enemy pockets remain between the main forces, for which reason it is too early to say that Tobruk has been relieved. The New Zealenders’ drives through Gambut and along the coast met bitter opposition from German tanks and infantry, which took a heavy toll of men and machines. Dead and wounded and wrecked tanks and lorries from both sides littered the desert over 100 square miles.

The New Zealanders throughout these operations closely followed up the tanks, but when the tanks were engaged in running fights the New Zealanders moved on alone against the German artillery and machine-gun posts dug deep into the desert. Junction with the Tobruk forces occurred before dawn today, when British tanks sighted a battle formation of tanks ahead. Identification was difficult in the grey light. Both sides manoeuvred warily until dawn revealed that all were British. The New Zealanders, when they captured Gambut, completely surprised the Germans, who thought their tanks had smashed up the British miles away. The New Zealanders captured 19 Messerschmitts and their crews on the Gambut aerodrome. SEVERE FIGHTING AHEAD Both British and German forces foresee a continuance of severe fighting in Libya. “Tough fighting lies ahead,” said a Cairo spokesman and a military spokesman in Berlin declared: '"The British have mustered such formidable forces that we must reckon on hard fighting during the next few days.” The Cairo spokesman said the battle had been handled extremely well. The general feeling in informed circles was quiet confidence. There was every hope of the temporary junction with the defenders of Tobruk becoming solid with the arrival of larger British forces from the south and east and the relief of Tobruk appeared imminent. How the long-pent up Tobruk garrison broke from the fortress and forced

a corridor southwards is decribed in a dispatch from Tobruk. Operations started at 4 a.m. and the first objectives were the strongholds “Butch,” “Jack and Jill” and “Tiger”—enemy posts sonamed by the Australians. “Butch” was taken in 15 minutes in the face of furious machine-gun and mortar fire and “Jack and Jill” and “Tiger” were mopped up after four hours’ fighting. After that the infantry followed a plan of heading for El Duda and the El Adem escarpment to link up with the Imperial forces coming from the south. The operations by the end of the day had gone according to plan in face of strenuous resistance by the enemy’s strongest battalions. Eleven hundred Germans and Italians had been taken prisoner. Meanwhile, ahead of the infantry the tanks made havoc with enemy posts and the artillery, blasted enemy troops and gun positions. Never in the history of desert fighting has an artillery duel reached such a crescendo.